40 years ago, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes was adopted to regulate the marketing of breast- milk substitutes. Yesterday the WHO and UN released a damming report into how the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding. 

Formula is a $55BN industry. Marketing dollars of infant formula is approximately 10% of revenue. Or roughly $5 BILLION - Which is the equivalent of the ENTIRE Annual WHO Operating Budget. 

TO BE VERY CLEAR - This is not a report on the product of infant formula, the use or need for infant formula as medically required or a parents decision to use formula. This is a report on the aggressive tactics undertaken by formula milk companies to deliberately target and undermine mothers.  

Formula milk marketing – powered by enormous budgets and the deliberate misuse of science – is driving over-consumption of formula milk and discouraging breastfeeding. It is also undermining women’s confidence and cynically exploiting parents’ instinct to do the best for their children. Scaling up breastfeeding could prevent an estimated 800,000 deaths of children under 5 and 20,000 breast cancer deaths among mothers each year. 

The good news is there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be passed on to your baby in breast milk, and the benefits of breastfeeding and the protection it offers outweigh any possible risks. There are no reports showing the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) is present in breastmilk.

There have also been recent studies into antibodies in breastmilk and their protection factors for newborns. Breastfeeding women who have been infected with Covid-19 continue to secrete virus-neutralising antibodies into their milk for up to 10 months.

Having just completed potty training my 2nd child, I though I would share with you my top tips for getting through this interesting, messy but eventually liberating stage of life!

Cluster Feeding is a baby putting in their order. To tell your body to make milk. They bring a bunch of feeds together non-stop and basically feed around the clock. On day one of life, they are a little sleepy. Hopefully they do a lovely breast crawl and latch all on their own. They might have a couple of feeds but generally they snooze. You are wide awake mind you, hormones, oxytocin (hello you just had a baby, you rock star you!) So you’re awake and baby is a snoozer.

Did you know they are generally supposed to be a temporary measure and a short term tool to help you. 

Nipple shields are great for a variety of reasons and here are a couple. 

1 - Nipple Damage - Nipple damage is usually because of a bad latch in the early days while everyone is still learning and working it all out. But the baby could also have a tongue tie. If we have damage, the first thing we want to do is really check that the latch is the deep enough. Roll the baby back and if they fall off easily they usually aren’t on deep enough. 

If the baby has a tie this needs to be assessed and either cut or given exercises to help if it is minor. 

I hope you are coping with the most recent lockdown in Sydney. Let's be real, this lockdown is probably worse than any of the others. Some people are slipping through the cracks and the financial help from the government hasn't been sufficient. The below is a list of local resources who are offering assistance at this time:

Soups in Winter, especially for Post-Natal care are nourishing, healthy and yummy!

Here is my favourite - Chicken Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)

It’s super easy to make too!

I see you. And I feel you.

The baby that wants to be held all day until your back breaks.

The one who cries all day, no matter what you try.

The one that doesn’t sleep.

The one that doesn’t feed well or eat anything that you cook for them.

The one that doesn’t play independently.

The one that doesn’t share,

The one that freaks out when you stand up or walk away just for a minute to use the loo.

The one that won’t go to anyone else.

Did you know you can start tummy time with your newborn from birth. And it doesn’t mean that you have to just plop them on the ground which they hate! Its cold, away from your touch and scary!

Incorporate it in small easy to manage steps including:

Holding them on their tummy across your arms

Holding them high up on your shoulder

So the time has come - You are ready to take the leap with your baby into the world of starting solids!

It’s emotional because it feels like one of the biggest milestones of your baby becoming more than a little blob, they are becoming a little person!

As a 1st time Mum, I couldn’t wait to get started, what could be cuter?! As a 2nd time Mum, I was more than happy to wait, I know how messy and time consuming it is!

As a 1st timer it was all organic, home made with love. My 2nd got a few more shop made pouches than I would like to admit - But I give myself a break for that!

There is a TON of info out there about Starting Solids, and some it of contradictory! So I thought I would share what I know, as a busy Mum of two.

First - Get your camera ready - The facial expressions your baby will make are gold when they either love something (apple) or hate something (breastmilk porridge)!

So, How do you know your baby is ready to start?

How can Dads and Partners Support Breastfeeding and Newborn Ideas?

- Attend a breastfeeding class with Mum. Chances are, her brain could go to mush after the baby is born. A second set of ears, taking in all the information, reminding Mum that night 2 in normal, suggesting positions learnt in class in invaluable.

- Being aware that breastfeeding is an all encompassing process that takes hours out of the day, every day. It is the equivalent of a full time job. That being trapped under a baby is a beautiful but exhausting job.

- BURP THE BABY! Babies are milk drunk after a feed, they don’t necessarily need to be burped but by burping them, Dads bounce around and have the baby up on their shoulders, are naturally hot bodied and babies love to fall asleep up there. Therefore baby learns that Dads shoulder is a great place to fall asleep and they then become masters at settling the baby!

We couldn't be prouder of Tiana for winning the Northern Beaches Business Award - Youth Award last night.

Tiana joined Beaches Baby in September 2019, not long after we opened our doors and she has been an integral part of our business ever since. So much wiser than her 17 years, she has been involved in the business with such enthusiasm and a hands on approach from day 1 and she has been fantastic at making instrumental changes in our retail store ever since. Her product knowledge, creative eye and willingness to do whatever I throw at her has been a phenomenal help to me.

She is full of great ideas and she is a valued and trusted member of our team.

We speak to parents daily who are here from another country and who are devastated every day by the International Border closures.

We wrote a letter to Federal MP Zali Steggal on behalf of our expat parenting community to open the conversation.

Below is our letter and her response.

We love to travel but travel with kids is so different to travelling solo or as a couple! With restrictions on travel lifting I thought I would share my travel packing list - Noting that you will always forget at least 1 thing!

Reframing it this way gives you a rationale and fuel for the struggle as it is an investment into your bond, why would you not want that.

And it will get better, the feeding, the sleeping, the cleaning, being together. You will get better and the baby will get better, you are learning and developing new skills together, 10,000 hours so the books tell me.

After talking to my virtual Prenatal Mums and New Mums groups last week I wanted to take a minute to remind everyone of 4 important messages that are so easy to forget.

Given everything that is happening in the world at the moment, there is a lot of interest from pregnant women in making the switch to home birth.

What a roller coaster life has been lately! Are you ok? Are you realising how much you love contact with other people or relishing in the down / home time? Maybe it's a combo of both.

It's been really nice spending extra time with my kiddos but I will admit, I personally am not cut out to be a 24/7 stay at home Mum.

A beautiful Mum popped into the shop this week, we got chatting and she also has a 4 month old baby who had just had his vaccinations. I asked her how things we going and she revealed she was upset because she had just spoken to the GP about how she was feeling like maybe she didn’t have as much milk as once before and the baby was waking up a little more than usual.

I started thinking about our villages and our self care post birth in the period known as the 4th trimester or the first 3 months post birth.

I am notoriously independent and a Type A organiser. So asking for help isn’t something I am good at and I am just as bad at accepting offers of help.

When my first child was born, I was determined that not much was going to change. That I could still do it all. And to be honest, I still did - to my own detriment.